


The Ties that Bind Us

by thesometimeswarrior



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Episode: s04e13 Journey's End, Friendship, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Self-Sacrifice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-15
Updated: 2015-04-15
Packaged: 2018-03-23 00:17:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3748369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesometimeswarrior/pseuds/thesometimeswarrior
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Please.  I’m begging you—I’ll do anything! Put me in her place! You can do anything to me, I don’t care, just get her out of there!” </p><p>They made a deal. And for her, his best friend, he would give and gladly.</p><p>One-Shot, canon divergence from Journey's End.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Ties that Bind Us

“Please. I’m begging you—I’ll do anything! Put me in her place! You can do anything to me, I don’t care, just get her out of there!” 

Rationally, he knew somewhere in him that there was next to no likelihood of the Supreme Dalek agreeing—the Daleks had no empathy, least of all for some human female, some unimportant human female…except she wasn’t unimportant. He knew that. But the Daleks did have hatred, for him especially, and therefore, however unlikely it might have been, he had one bargaining chip: his life. His precious, precious life, with which he could do so much more. So much more. But he was desperate. And for her, his best friend, he would give it and gladly. Oh, Donna.

To his immense surprise, the Dalek Supreme did not retort immediately but with a slowly moving eyestock, observed him. “You would give your life for the female’s?”

“Yes!”

“Doctor, it’s too hot!” Jack burst. “You’ll burn before you can regenera—”

“I know.”

“It is agreeeeeeed. Retrieve the TARDIS. Retrieve! Retrieeeeve!” As the Supreme Dalek screeched its orders, the Doctor noted the three lesser Daleks approaching in order to, he assumed, restrain him in some way. It didn’t matter—he had no intention of breaking his word. Not this time.

“Doctor…” It was hardly louder than a whisper and it was his Rose. 

He turned his head to look at her. She was so lovely, his Rose. But still. “I’m sorry, but I’ve got to.”

She nodded. “I know." 

"You, Jack, and Donna--you've got to stop them, whatever they're doing. If anyone can, it's you."

* * *

 

The consul room burned as each roundel exploded inward. She was going to fry to death any second now, that is if she didn’t suffocate from the smoke first. “Doctor,” Donna pleaded to the smoky air, knowing that there was no way he could hear or help her. She was alone. She was going to die. She was scared, so scared…

Suddenly she felt a sudden upward lurch, and the roundels stopped shattering. Though still seemingly dead, the TARDIS was ascending, as though some force were yanking it upward out of the deadly inferno…until it stopped, just as suddenly as it had started. The TARDIS was sitting firmly and still on some surface. 

Before she could properly catch her balance, the door swung open, a Dalek entered the TARDIS, and prodded her out. She blinked, considered shouting at the Dalek—how else would she deal with her fear of it—when she saw the Doctor, hands bound behind his back, walking toward her and the open TARDIS door, guarded on three sides by Daleks.

“No!” she shrieked. “No, Doctor, you can’t! You—”

“Donna.” When the Doctor spoke, she fell silent. He was now close enough to Donna to touch her, and he would have, to put a supportive hand on her shoulder or wrap her in an embrace, if he had had access to his hands. Instead, he leaned forward and gently placed a kiss in the center of her forehead. “ _You_ are worth it.” 

“The Doctor will proceed! Proceed! Proceeeeeed!” The Daleks impatiently erupted into a cacophony of screeching orders. As the Doctor obeyed, Donna lunged toward him, only to find herself stopped as Jack held her back. She wanted to say something, but found anything she might have uttered caught in her throat.

They attached the cuffs binding the Doctor’s hands to the rail of the TARDIS, so that his back was to the consul and he was near the door and fully visible through it. Donna, at a loss, gazed at him. He held her eye, and smiled a soft, reassuring smile.

And it was only after the door closed and Donna could no longer see him that he allowed the smile to falter, as he plunged into the fire.

**Author's Note:**

> I know that this is incompatible with the rest of the episode, that Donna has to become the meta-crisis. But the Doctor's desperate plea has always touched me, and I wanted to explore what would happen if I took it to its fruition. Hope you enjoyed!


End file.
